Insights from BCC Research

Fueling the Future with Clean Energy Alternatives

Delaware is aiming to decrease its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by the year 2030, Delaware Public Media reported. To realize its goal, the First State intends to make it easier for people who are getting around the state in an alternative fuel vehicle.

A network of electric quick-charge stations, with the power to boost fuel cells by 80% to 100% in 25 minutes, along with propane and natural gas fueling centers will be developed over the next year thanks to $1 million in state grants. Nineteen total new locations are set to open throughout Delaware, with most open to the public.

Last May, Governor Jack Markell, with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Secretary David Small, announced the state’s recipients of the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Grants, which will fund seven projects to help grow alternative fuel infrastructure across the state.

The grants are part of Delaware’s Clean Transportation Incentive Program, funded through Delaware’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative cap-and-trade program. Totaling more than $1 million, the grants will range from $8,000 to $500,000, depending on the scope and technology needs of each project.

“Delaware has been a leader in reducing emissions while still remaining dedicated to economic growth as well as promoting the health of our residents and our environment,” says Governor Markell. “Through our participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the Delaware Clean Transportation Incentive Program, we’ve been able to secure funding that helps us reduce our environmental footprint and combat climate change by promoting the use of alternative fuels and supporting alternative fuel infrastructure throughout the state.”

GRANTS TO HELP FIGHT AGAINST SEA-LEVEL EROSION

Currently, transportation totals 34 percent of the state’s emissions. As the lowest-lying state in the U.S., Delaware is threatened by rising sea levels that would devastate the local economy were it to overrun homes, farmlands, and beachfront destinations.

DNREC Secretary Small says that “promoting and supporting the use of vehicles powered by cleaner alternative fuels such as electricity, propane and natural gas plays a vital role in our mission to grow Delaware’s clean energy economy, reduce transportation’s environmental footprint and fight the long-term effects of climate change in our state.”

According to James Dawson, Small said the grants program “is a continuation of the state’s goal to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions, a critical aspect to reducing the threat of sea level rise.”

“That infrastructure needs to be in place in order to provide that additional incentive for folks who are willing to make that investment and want to make that investment. As we’ve seen, that market continues to get stronger even with lower fuel prices,” he told Dawson.